These hazards range from meteorological events like hurricanes, droughts, and heatwaves to geophysical occurrences like earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

Examples of natural hazards include tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Some natural hazards can be reliably predicted. For example, hurricanes are usually forecasted days in advance using satellites and other technology.

Hazards to humans created in the atmosphere, such as tropical storms, droughts and tornadoes, are atmospheric hazards. Hazards originating on or near the Earth’s surface, such as landslides, flooding and mudflows, are considered geomorphological hazards. Hazards posed by living things, e.g. forest fires, are biological hazards.

Some examples of natural hazard events include: flooding, drought, earthquake, tropical cyclone, lightning, tsunami, volcanic activity, wildfire. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or damage property, and typically leaves economic damage in its wake.